Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of liquid ring pumps.
Description of Related Art
Liquid ring pumps are well known. Liquid ring pumps include a housing that defines at least one working chamber, a rotor within the housing having a plurality of impellers extending radially outward from the shaft and within the working chambers, a shaft extending into the housing wherein the rotor is fixed to the shaft, and a drive system such as a motor operably connected to the shaft. Drive system may be an induction motor, gas motor, or any other drive system or motor known in the art. The rotor and shaft are positioned eccentrically within the working chamber. The working chamber is partially filled with an operating fluid and when the motor drives the shaft and the rotor, a liquid ring is formed on the inner surface of the radially outer wall of the chamber. The rotor and shaft are also eccentric to the formed liquid ring. The space defined between impellers and between the shaft and liquid ring comprises a bucket. In the portion of the ring wherein the liquid diverges from the rotor, the resulting increase in area of the bucket during rotation of the shaft results in a reduced pressure that acts as a fluid intake zone. The increase in pressure due to the reduction in the volume of the bucket during rotation of the shaft comprises a fluid compression zone.
Liquid ring pumps may have a single stage comprising a single working chamber and rotor. In addition, liquid ring pumps may be two-stage which includes a second working chamber which intakes the discharge of the first working chamber to provide a higher pressure discharge.